Commonwealth Games tickets now on sale

New Delhi: Tickets for the Commonwealth Games -- at prices ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 50,000 -- went on sale Friday, officials said

While ticket prices for the sporting event, to be held here in October, will range from Rs 50 to Rs 1,000, those for the opening ceremony have been pegged from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50,000, Commonwealth Games organising committee (CGOC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi announced.

The ticket prices for the closing ceremony will be between Rs 750 and Rs 50,000, Kalmadi said.

Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna, who launched an official ticketing website www.tickets.cwgdelhi2010, was the first to get a Rs 1,000 ticket for the event.

Delhi Mayor PR Sawhney was given a Rs 250 ticket for the Games.

The Lt Governor later told reporters that about 17 lakh tickets are expected to be sold for the event.

Tickets for the mega sporting event will be sold at outlets of Central Bank of India and Hero Honda, CWG ticketing call centre 1800-200-1294 as well as through the official website.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been appointed as the official ticketing agency for the Games.

The ticket sales will be in three phases. During Phase I, spectators buying tickets will be provided with a confirmation voucher which will be exchanged for actual tickets beginning Aug 1, when the second phase for the sales start. In the second phase, the spectators will get actual tickets against every purchase.

The third phase beginning Oct 2 will witness venue sales outlet also added to the sales channel.

"Spectators can choose the option of getting their tickets delivered through courier or opt for pick-up option if booking online or through the call centre," an official said, adding that over 50 outlets have been planned for Delhi and the National Capital Region in a phased manner.

The official said each ticket holder can travel free of charge by Delhi metro and government-run Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses to reach and return from the venue on the day of the event.

"I am very grateful to the Delhi government for not levying entertainment tax on the tickets," Kalmadi said at the function.

"I hope that Delhiites will come out in large numbers to buy the tickets. The tickets have been fixed at reasonable prices."

The organising committee chairman said the upgradation of the city`s infrastructure for the October Games will help Delhi move ahead by 5-10 years and added: "This is for the lifetime of Delhi and not only 15 days. Commonwealth Games is for the common man."

Ticket sales in international markets began in November last year, while the sales to sponsors began in May this year.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was, however, not present at the event. And the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to criticise her absence at the function, which was attended, among others, by leader of opposition in Delhi Assembly, Vijay Kumar Malhotra.